Electron micrscopic studies were performed on the rectal mucosa obtained by Crosby-Kugler biopsy capsule from patients with Hurler syndrome, Scheie syndrome, Morquio syndrome, Tay-Sachs disease, Niemann-Pick disease, Gaucher disease, I-cell disease, and a new type of mucolipidosis.
Because of coexistent connective tissue cells, histiocytes, Schwann cells, and axons in adequate specimens, a rectal mucosal biopsy can serve for the diagnosis not only sphingolipidoses but also of acid mucopolysaccharidoses and mucolipidoses.
In Hurler syndrome, Niemann-Pick disease. I-cell disease, and a new type of mucolipidosis, a number of characteristic vacuoles and cytosomes were found in the cytoplasm of connective tissue cells, histiocytes, Schwann cells, and axons.
In Scheie syndrome, numerous vacuoles were found in the cytoplasm of connective tissue cells and histiocytes, but Schwann cells and axons were normal.
In Tay-Sachs disease, a number of cytosomes similar to those seen in ganglion cells were found only in Schwann cells and axons.
In Gaucher disease, Gaucher cells could not been seen in rectal mucosa, and in Morquio syndrome, Schwann cells, axons, and histioctes were unremarkable.
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